


Alone Time

by VermeilH20



Series: Zutara Week 2020 [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2020, aged-up, did I mention Zuko is in drag, its all part of a very serious plan, the rest of gaang appears briefly, they're all in their twenties here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:27:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25537297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VermeilH20/pseuds/VermeilH20
Summary: Due to political concerns, Zuko and Katara have not been able to be very open with their relationship. But they have come up with a plan for some alone time amidst their very busy schedules...Written for Zutara Week 2020 Day 1 - Reunion
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: Zutara Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850419
Comments: 1
Kudos: 28





	1. The Plan

Zuko was not relaxed. His heart was pounding so hard he was convinced he could hear it over the sound of the ostrich-horse hooves pulling the carriage.

This plan was crazy, he was crazy for even thinking it would work, there were so many things that could go wrong…

He struggled to resist the urge to put his head into his hands. Suki had spent a lot of time on his makeup and he wasn’t out of the woods quite yet.

Zuko sat back in the carriage seat and thought back to what had landed him in this very outlandish situation.

As the leader of an entire nation, Zuko was often stuck in the spotlight, whether he wanted to be or not. It wasn’t always a bad thing, but the added scrutiny and censure made a lot of things more difficult.

Specifically, they made romantic relationships difficult. When he and Katara had found themselves falling in love, they also found their fame throwing a wrench in the works. If Zuko was seen with not just any water-bender, but the daughter of their Chief and the Avatar’s ex, it would be a political powder keg. His enemies would accuse him of going soft on the Water Tribe, that he was not truly loyal to the Fire Nation. The gossip rags and rumor mills would turn what they had into some sort of sordid scandal rife with ridiculously baseless and tasteless speculation. 

He’d spent his whole life being hounded by rumors, but he wanted to protect Aang from the worst of it. The somewhat socially sheltered air nomad had no idea how crude or crass things could get. 

Between that ever-present fear of scandal and their own busy schedules, it was hard for the two young lovers to see each other. Letters were nice, but Zuko often found himself lying awake at night and thinking of her.

Toph, Sokka, Suki, Mai and Ty Lee had taken it upon themselves to help him after seeing him moping around whenever one of them brought a new letter from Katara. Toph had gleefully told him that Katara was also missing him and that it was insufferable to be around people whose longing was so strong she could literally feel it from miles away. To quote her, “the two of you need to get this loopy lovestruckness out of your system, fast. My family has a house on the edges of the Earth Kingdom that would be perfect.” She’d waggled her eyebrows at Zuko. “It’s got only one bedroom.”

Zuko and Aang had both blushed, while Sokka had become utterly inflamed and began sputtering about “decency” and “propriety” and “young impressionable Avatars”. The last comment had elicited a scowl from Aang. He had shut up only when Suki had told him to stop being condescending, giving her a wounded look when she added, “I agree with Toph, but in less graphic terms.”

“He hasn’t looked this mopey since that time he learned he couldn’t keep turtleducks in his room.” Mai had said drily. “Not even during any of our many, many breakups.”

Now it was Zuko’s turn to look wounded, while Aang made an “aww” noise. The Avatar had turned to the Fire Lord with a smile, “That’s adorable! Did you know Katara once tried to bring home a baby penguin? She worried it would get cold on the ice.” Zuko had not known that, but it had made him smile. Then he had felt guilty for smiling in front of Mai.

Ty Lee had diffused the situation with ease. “Well, if he hadn’t broken up with you all those many, many times, we wouldn’t be together today!” she’d declared, grinning as she slung an arm around Mai’s shoulder.

Really, with all the roasting and teasing and banter, it was a miracle they had managed to come up with a plan at all.

The final plan they had come up with involved him taking a few days leave to “meditate undisturbed in the forest”. He would depart from the Fire Nation palace with Suki as a guard. Of course, Suki would bring along a bag of provisions and clothes for herself. Specifically, women’s clothes that didn’t represent any nation.

Once in the forest, Zuko would change into the women’s clothes and Suki would makeup his face to conceal most of the scar tissue. For added insurance, he would wear a veil over his face. Since some women in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation veiled their faces while traveling in order to maintain a delicate complexion and avoid getting dust or dirt in their eyes, Zuko would be able to conceal his scar without raising too many questions. He was then supposed to make his way to a local inn, telling some sob story about how his traveling party was beset by bandits. 

(Zuko wasn’t sure whether it was Suki or Mai who came up with this part of the plan, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. It was ingeniously brilliant, but also made him feel a bit awkward. Having to shorten his strides to appear more ladylike was going to give him a cramp).

Meanwhile, Iroh, who would have come to the Fire Kingdom for a visit, would also go back to his tea shop on the same day. His route would take him very close to the forests Zuko was supposedly meditating in. While stopping at an inn to rest the ostrich-horses, he would meet a lovely young woman who was all alone, her party having been beset by bandits and her coachman now missing. Iroh, being the gentleman ex-general of unimpeachable character that he was, would no doubt offer to take her the rest of the way. 

They would travel until nightfall. Once in the Earth Kingdom, Iroh would drop the young lady, aka Zuko, off near the outskirts of town, from where he would make his way to the nearby safe house Toph had arranged for them. The darkness would provide cover and let them slip in without too much fuss. According to Toph, "the rich snots who own the rest of the houses go to bed as soon as the sun sets because they don't have anything better to do."

The whole plan had required a month meticulous of planning, carefully-timed execution, and what Zuko thought was a very painful lesson where the girls insisted on teaching him how to walk in high heels (Toph hadn’t done much teaching – her contribution mostly involved loud laughter). It had involved more than one ungraceful fall, but Mai had said with a completely deadpan expression that this was the point. Walking in heels would force his gait to look more feminine and also make him take shorter steps. 

He couldn't walk without wincing for two days after. But it was all worth it for the chance to see Katara again…

Though at the rate this carriage was moving, he was starting to wonder if he would ever see her again. He resisted the urge to pull aside the curtains and look out. Instead, he turned to face his uncle, studiously avoiding the box of pai sho tiles that rested next to the ex-general. Iroh had been cajoling him to play a game since they got into the carriage. Zuko silently cursed Sokka for coming up with the idea for a magnetized board and tiles. Now there was no escape from that ghastly game.

Iroh looked sagely at his nephew. “They often say that absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Iroh said, the mischievous glint in his eyes belying his intentions. 

“Whoever ‘they’ are, they need to find a better use for their time than making up pithy expressions.” Zuko grumbled under his breath.

Iroh just smiled, watching his increasingly twitchy nephew while sipping hot tea from his insulated flask (he was testing Sokka’s new prototype to see how long it would maintain liquid temperature). If anyone else had been in the carriage with them, they would have sworn that the Fire Lord appeared the picture of stoic decorum (they would also likely have been shocked at the fact that the Fire Lord was wearing makeup, but that was neither here nor there).

To the man who had been with him every step of the way as he grew from an anguished, angry teen to the thoughtful leader he was today, though, Zuko looked nervous, anxious and also hopeful.

It had been many moons since Iroh had experienced such a potent cocktail of emotions himself, but he remembered all too well the heady rush of young love. 

“Don’t look so nervous, nephew. I’m sure she will be happy to see you.” Iroh reassured him, grinning. "It's not every day that such a pretty young woman shows up on your doorstep.

"Uncle, you're terrible." Zuko rolled his eyes.

"I was talking about Master Katara. I'm sure you'll be happy to see her again." He reached out and patted Zuko's shoulder. "And I'm sure she'll be happy to see you." He repeated. A lifetime of rejections, real and perceived, had done a number on his nephew's ability to feel loved. To feel worthy of being loved. 

Reassurance was the least he could offer. 

"I hope so. But I can't be sure. We haven't seen each other in a while." _Better to bolster yourself against disappointment so that it didn't hurt too much when it came, right?_ Zuko thought. He also secretly worried that karma would come for him after the way he'd treated poor Mai. "Things could have changed..."

“Well, we are here now, so you can ask her that for yourself.” Iroh told him as the carriage came to a stop. “Now remember, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. And if you are ever at a loss, remember that book…”

“Goodbye, Uncle.” Zuko said, firmly, nipping _that_ conversation in the bud. His face softened a little. “And thank you for this.”

“It’s your friends you should be thanking. I’m just the deliveryman.” His uncle winked, waving goodbye as the carriage rolled away.

Zuko took a deep breath and turned around, gritting his teeth as he struggled to walk across the shadowed cobbled stones. He had practiced on a smooth wood floor in full light and that had been hard enough. How he was going to make it all the way to the rendezvous point without falling on his face, he had no idea. He sent up a prayer to Agni before very slowly making his way down the road.

He probably looked like some rich lady out for a leisurely stroll, he thought. He wanted very badly to create just a little light, enough to see where his feet were going. But that would be a dead giveaway. So he soldiered on, gripping his skirts and deciding he had a newfound respect for the women who wore such heavy clothing all day. Even his ceremonial robes weren't as heavy as this traveling gown.

The little cluster of cottages was very quiet, and each property was walled in by a tall, thick metal gate. He walked down the road, pausing in front of the gate with a golden 8. He pulled out the small key Toph had sent him and took a deep breath.

This was it.

The gate opened smoothly and silently. Within moments, he had locked it behind him and was at the door of the house. He raised up his hand to knock on it, and was surprised when it swung open before he even touched the painted wood.

Katara stood on the other side, her hair half-undone and dressed in a casual cotton tunic that was slightly rumpled. She looked like she had been traveling for a while.

She looked beautiful.


	2. Finally Alone

Zuko was really here. Katara couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across her face at the sight of him.

Despite the makeup caked onto his face, his eyes shone as he mirrored her expression.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” 

They stared at each other a little before Katara’s eyes went wide and she pulled him in. “Come inside! Oh, Tui and La. We could have blown it!” She didn’t let go of his arm even after the door was shut and locked behind them. Then she became very conscious of the heat coming off his arm and began blushing furiously. _Pull yourself together, woman._ She told herself. She had thought about greeting him with a kiss but had reconsidered it. They had agreed to take things slow, and she was determined to uphold her end of the bargain

Besides, she wasn’t exactly looking her best right now. She’d waterbended a boat down the nearby river to avoid detection, then made her way to the rendezvous house in the pitch black. Contrary to those propaganda myths that used to abound in the Fire Nation, waterbenders could not see in the dark. The end result was that a fair number of leaves had tangled themselves in her hair.

She could waterbend sweat off her face and river water off her clothes, but leaves were beyond her.

“You look beautiful.” Zuko said, quietly. Katara blushed even deeper, lifting her hand

“I thought there would be more of it.”

“Yeah, well. Suki said that I have very delicate features and that most people only remembered my scar, so as long as that was covered up, I didn’t have to worry.” He laughed a little self-consciously. “Guess people only remember the scary parts.”

Katara loved him, but she was not here for his self-pity party. “Okay, first rule of being here. No making deprecating jokes about your face or your past. We’ve only got a week and I for one would like it if we could spend it making some new memories instead of rehashing old ones.” Her grip on his arm tightened and she reached over to hug him. “Starting with this one.” She stood on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. Zuko pulled her flush against him and the kiss deepened…

Katara coughed when her mouth filled with powder and rouge. “Okay, maybe we should wash your face before doing anything else.” She made a face at the taste. “Blegh. It tastes like uncooked rice dust and crushed beetle bodies.”

Zuko looked slightly nauseous at her description. “Is that what this is?”

“You didn’t know?” Her face was still in a grimace. 

“No…”

“Let’s get this washed off, then.” Katara took his hand and dragged him over to the water closet. She turned on the faucet and drew out a small ball of water. “Mind if I…”

“Go ahead.” Zuko exhaled as the cool water moved across his flushed face, taking all the sweat and makeup off it gently. His eyes fluttered shut, staying that way even as she pulled the water away and replaced it with her hand. He leaned into the touch, opening his eyes just slightly. Katara gave him a warm smile.

“Better?”

“Better.”

“Okay, then. Rule two. Neither of us wears makeup when we kiss. Ever.” She let go of his face and reached down to take his hand and lead him into the main sitting area. She wanted to kiss him again, and not in the water closet.

“I thought vacations weren’t supposed to have rules?” Zuko drawled, quirking his lips in a teasing smile to try. He sat next to her on one of the low couches, their hands the only parts of them that were touching.

“Not this one.” Katara shot back, in the same tone she had used countless times when trying to persuade Aang or Toph to accord her with even a modicum of respect. It had failed, more often than not. But she couldn’t help reverting back to it whenever she wanted to get a point across.

So she was a little surprised when Zuko smiled at her and easily agreed. “Okay. Rule number one is no being mean to myself. Rule number two, no makeup. Got any more rules I should know about?”

Katara wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or not, but whatever. She _did_ have a few more rules. Just a few. “Rule number three is, if I’m using the bathroom or in the bedroom, knock before entering.” She thrilled a little at the way Zuko blushed at this. Now she wasn’t the only one whose face was slightly red. She still hadn’t removed her hand from his either.

“Rule number four is…” Katara hadn’t really thought this far and she was wondering what direction she should take this in. Part of her wanted to make up a rule about him having to be shirtless for a certain number of the hours in a day or something, but she wasn’t sure whether that counted as “taking things slow”.

“Rule number four is, you have to stop when I say to stop.” She finished. She didn’t think Zuko was the kind of guy who would take things that far, but it couldn’t hurt to say it.

Something dark and distant moved through his eyes, quickly followed by concern and sincerity. “Of course.” He said, proceeding to blather “I wouldn’t dream of…I wouldn’t dare…of course.” He reiterated. “You have my word.”

Wow, he really had grown up since that incident with the necklace all those years ago. Something warm and floaty fizzed inside her. He was so much more attractive now that he wasn’t threatening to attack her family.

Sure, he’d been kind of cute in a dorky, awkward way when he’d first shown up at the Western Air Temple. Katara wasn’t going to pretend she hadn’t occasionally thought about running her fingers through his thick dark hair back then. But this grown-up, thoughtful Zuko was much better. 

During their conversation, they had barely moved, still maintaining a mostly proper distance. The lanterns were burning bright, but everything else was silent and still.

For the first time, she was aware of how utterly alone they were together, so far from everyone and anyone else.

Katara moved a little closer to him, her leg against his. Zuko leaned over and put an arm around her shoulders, drawing her even closer.

She placed one hand on his chest, feeling the heat of his firebender blood through the fabric, then leaned in to continue where they had left off before. The kiss was soft and tender, a gentle greeting between two people who had been apart for a very long time.

He relaxed into her, releasing her hand to hold her hips. Katara reached up, wrapping her newly freed hand around his neck and pulling him against her. She bit his lip before deepening the kiss, enjoying the way he matched her, taking what she gave and giving in turn.

The came apart for air, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. “That felt so good.”

“That was hot.” Katara replied. The two of then laughed lightly at the pun.

“Looks like a sense of humor runs in your family.” Zuko observed drily, grinning widely.

They kissed again, harder and more insistent this time. It was a hungry kiss, the urgency not like to tasting nectar after being starved for months. Zuko let out a sharp exhale when she slung one leg over his and moved into his lap. Katara reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling down the neat bun it had been tied into. When he reached up to do the same for her remaining braids, he realized it wouldn’t be that easy to undo them.

“Oh, right.” Katara broke away, one hand flying to her hair. “I need to undo those.”

“It’s okay. I need to change anyway.” He looked down at the dress. “I don’t know how women wear all this all the time.”

“I need to do that too. And it’s mostly noblewomen of a certain standing. It’s basically a way of status signaling to be able to wear so many clothes. Means your rich enough to hire someone to wash all of them and then get rid of them at the end of the year.” She snarked.

Zuko laughed. eyes lighting up. “You’re rarely sarcastic.” He grinned. “I like this side of you.” He had a very open, sincere expression on his face when he continued. “I like all the sides of you.”

“Even when I’m angry and raging?”

“You only get outraged when something or someone is wronging someone else. When you’re that mad about something, it’s probably worth getting mad about.” He said matter-of-factly.

A small lump formed in Katara’s throat. “That’s so sweet.” She pecked him on the cheek. stroking his hair one more time. “We should probably get changed now.”

“Eager for more?" He gave her a small wink.

"Aren't you?" She retorted with a smirk. Her smile widened when his eyes grew wide. He hadn't been expecting that.

They got off the couch and both headed for the bedroom, before pausing and laughing. “I’ll change out here. You can take the bedroom.” Zuko offered, chivalrously.

“What exactly will you change into? My bag is here, and I think Toph left clothes for both of us in the bedroom.” She headed for the satchel slumped against the wall. “You can take the bedroom.”

“Okay. I’ll knock when I’m done.”

“Perfect.”

Eventually, both of them had changed into nightclothes and were seated on the bed, struggling to stifle their yawns. It had been a long journey for both of them, and now that the adrenaline of their initial reunion was wearing off, the tiredness was catching up to them.

"To be continued?" Zuko asked, falling onto his back, eyes barely open.

"To be continued." Katara replied, collapsing onto the mattress with a long sigh.

**Author's Note:**

> Colorism is a real issue in Asia, and it's not uncommon for women to cover their faces or use umbrellas to prevent themselves from getting too tan when they are out. These veils/coverings are not meant to be confused for niqabs- they are worn for vanity. not religion.


End file.
